Obama pushes back against critics of Iran deal

ASSOCIATED PRESS

November 26, 2013 12:01 AM

President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks about immigration reform, Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, at the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center in San Francisco. Obama is traveling on a three day West Coast swing to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles that will feature a bit of official business but mostly fundraising for the Democratic party. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)AP

ASSOCIATED PRESS

November 26, 2013 12:01 AM

WASHINGTON -- Pushing back hard, President Barack Obama forcefully defended the temporary agreement to freeze Iran's disputed nuclear program Monday, declaring that the United States "cannot close the door on diplomacy."

The president's remarks followed skepticism of the historic accord expressed by some U.S. allies abroad as well as by members of Congress at home, including fellow Democrats. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the fiercest opponents of the six-month deal, called it a "historic mistake."

Obama, without naming names, swiped at those who have questioned the wisdom of engaging with Iran.

"Tough talk and bluster may be the easy thing to do politically, but it's not the right thing to do for our security," he said during an event in San Francisco.

The temporary accord is historic in its own right, marking the most substantial agreement between Iran and the West in more than three decades.